He leaned closer and hope rose like a balloon in a bright, sunny sky. Meanwhile, my conscience prodded me with a sharp stick. My very best friend had a problem with this guy. I had absolutely no business having the hots for him.
His lips touched mine, and I decided Maddie could fend for herself.
He pulled away and took a step back. “I’m sorry, Stephie.”
I wanted to say something smart and pithy and funny. But all I could think of was play it again, Jake. I’m such an idiot.
A beautiful redheaded woman sidled up to Jake and I had an insane moment of jealousy. “You about ready to get out of here?” she asked.
“Stephie, this is my sister, Valerie. Val, this is Maddie’s friend from D.C.”
“Nice to meet you.”
I shook her hand. Sister. I will not admit to a wave of relief. Nope.
“Valerie’s daughter was in the pageant.” He pointed to a cute redhead talking with another of the contestants.
“She’s adorable,” I said, because she was.
“Thank you,” Valerie said, her face beaming with motherly pride. “I think she might have won if I’d been willing to put makeup on her and spend five hundred dollars on a dress and take her to classes and stuff like the other mothers. But good grief, she’s six! I wanted to do my bit to support the town, and to give Sienna the experience of a pageant, but I refuse to be a stage mother.”
I liked this woman better all the time. Why was it I should be running in the other direction?
“Stephie.”
And then I remembered.
I turned. “Maddie. Do you know—”
“Of course I do,” she snapped. “I’ll be in the car.”
I watched her retreating back, while shame filled me with icy regret. What had I been thinking?
“Nice to meet you,” Valerie said, then turned and hurried toward her daughter.
“I’m sorry.”
I faced Jake. “It’s not your fault. She’s my friend.”
“She used to be mine.” I saw the flare of pain and regret in his dark eyes just before he turned and rushed after his sister.
I took a deep breath, turned toward the door, and hoped I had all my body parts when Maddie was through with me.
The parking lot was quickly emptying and Maddie’s Aveo was easy to spot. She’d pulled closer to the building, and the motor was running. I jumped in and she took off before I had my seatbelt fastened.
Instead of taking the opportunity to chew me out, she was totally quiet on the ride back to her mother’s house. I probably should have been grateful, instead I was worried. I figured the odds were excellent she was plotting my demise. If I was lucky.
Back at Margaret’s, Maddie rushed up the stairs as if Bigfoot himself was after her. I chose not to follow. Instead, I wandered into the living room where Margaret sat on the couch reading a book. She smiled. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
“I did.” I cringed. “Until Maddie caught me talking to Jake and his sister.”
Margaret shook her head in sympathy. “I’ll bet that went over like a gorilla at a formal state dinner.”
“Pretty much.” I sighed long and hard.
Margaret patted the seat beside her. “Wanna talk?”
I collapsed onto the couch, suddenly completely, utterly, exhausted. “I’m so confused.”
“So you met Valerie? She’s a sweet person.”
“She seems to be. And her daughter is adorable.”
Margaret smiled. “She’s a good mother. Was her husband there?”
“I don’t really know. Nobody introduced me to a guy, but then Maddie came up and everything got severely uncomfortable.”
“He was probably at the hospital. Casey is an emergency room physician. We’re all very proud of him.”
I cringed. “Except Maddie.”
“Madison isn’t thinking straight.”
“What happened between Jake and Maddie? Why does she hate him so much?”
Margaret stood and slowly walked to the doorway. She glanced up the stairway before sitting beside me again. “You have to understand, the fire scarred both of them, in different ways. You know Jake got trapped in the building, right? Virgil had to carry him out.”
My stomach twisted painfully at the thought of what he must have gone through. “I knew he’d been hurt in the fire. I didn’t realize...” I looked away, reluctant to let Margaret see the tears well up in my eyes.
“Both of them have deep scars. Some of Jake’s are on the outside, but it’s the scars we can’t see that hold them both hostage to the events the night of the fire. Until those wounds start to heal, nothing is going to change.”
I was sorry for both of them, but I was also confused. “But why do they hate each other?”
“They don’t. Not really. My theory is that to each of them the other represents what they lost in the fire.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“Not to you and me. And probably not consciously even to them. But deep down inside, neither of them has ever really dealt with what happened that night.”
“The subconscious is a strange animal.”
Margaret chuckled. “So are the two of them.”
I had to agree. “I guess I’d better go face the firing squad.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks. I’m pretty sure I’ll need it.”
I took a long, deep breath, and headed up the stairs.”
Maddie was sprawled on her stomach across her bed; she had a mystery novel in her hand and appeared completely caught up in the story. She might have convinced me, if the book hadn’t been upside down. All but overwhelming pain for my friend rushed through me. “Maddie, I’m sorry.”
She shrugged without looking at me. “For what, talking to a guy you obviously like? Don’t let me get in your way.”
I cringed at the hurt and anger in her voice. “It’s not that I like him.”
She swung around and glared hard. “Yeah, you hate him, right? That’s why you were kissing him.”
Oh God, she’d seen. “He kissed me.”
“Well that’s different.”
I took a step toward my friend. “Maddie, please...”
“Bite me, Buffy.”
She flipped off the bed and tore down the hall. The bathroom door slammed.
I looked down to make sure I was still in one piece. The visual inspection insisted I was, but I was pretty dang sure she’d pulled out a piece of my heart. Maybe I should just pack up and head back to where I belong with my tail between my legs. I came to Ugly Creek to support my friend, and all it took was one, big, handsome man to have me acting like a seventh grader and leaving my best friend behind. What a jerk I was turning out to be.
I wandered over to the shelf of trophies and photos. Maddie as the head cheerleader. What a thud upside the head. Beauty, brains, and popularity. What did she see in short, crazy-haired, easily distracted me?
One thing was absolute. I would stay away from Jake Blackwood. We would only be in town for a few more days. I could certainly contain my hormonal overdrive for that long.
As I was sighing pitifully and turning to go have myself a kick-my-own-butt party, I realized there was another framed photo behind one of the entire cheerleading squad. I pulled it out and was greeted with Maddie in a prom dress, standing beside her date—Jake in a tux.
Oh boy. That explained a lot. No wonder there were such hard feelings between the two of them. Nothing creates more anger than lost romantic love.
Oh boy, my best friend, the closest friend I’d ever had, the woman who’d saved my sanity when I first got the job in D.C., had romantic feelings for a man I was falling for.
Just one more reason—as if I needed one—to keep my grubby paws off tall, dark, and trouble.
Sigh.
Chapter 7
“Play ball!” the umpire yelled.
From behind the refreshment stand counter, I had a great view of the annual Big Foot Festival’s char
ity softball game. Every year, local business people, their employees, and families got together to raise money for a good cause. This year, thanks to Henry, the money was going to the county’s Children’s Hospital. Maddie asked if I would be willing to help out, and I was more than happy to say yes. Just the fact she’d spoken to me long enough to ask made my heart a little less lead-like. I’d tried to apologize on the way to the ball field, but she asked I just forget the whole thing. I wouldn’t, of course. She’d always been there for me, and I’d been a horrible friend. I was lucky she was even speaking to me.
“Hot dog with everything, please.”
I looked up into the dark, enticing eyes, and wanted to beat my head against the counter. I knew there was a good chance Jake would be at the game, but already? Good gravy.
“Coming right up,” I managed, and turned to get his food.
“You were a lot friendlier last night.”
Ouch. I fixed his dog and sat it on the counter between us. “Last night I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Really.”
I swallowed back the desire to crawl under the popcorn machine and forced myself to look at him. “Maddie is my closest friend.”
He leaned near enough his hot breath brushed my cheek. “So, you’re not even willing to get to know me before you toss me in the garbage. Figures.”
He slammed money on the counter, snatched his dog, and stomped away. Perfect start to the day. Those two were going to be the death of me.
Luckily, before I could succumb to deep, dark, likely deserved, depression, a group of about a hundred loud, snotty nosed kids was nice enough to distract me. Okay, maybe it was more like five kids, but it seemed like a hundred. Even after they left, the need to scrub the entire area where they’d rubbed their grubby hands kept me busy for quite some time.
Two hours later, I’d pretty much forgotten grubby hands and irritatingly sexy men. The game was in full force, and I simultaneously enjoyed watching them play, and wished I was out there with them in the hot sun, hand curling around the ball, clutching the perfect heft of a bat, running headlong across the grass.
Maddie landed a solid hit on the ball and headed for first base. I felt warmth rush through me. My friend might be an ex-cheerleader, but she was also a decent athlete. Liza stepped up to the plate, and proved she could also handle a bat. Maddie scrambled for third and Liza slid into second. Jake stepped up to bat, and I held my breath.
The first pitch almost hit him in the leg. He jumped back and glared hard at the Stony Grove pitcher. He missed the next pitch, but he met the third pitch with the solid pop of his bat. The ball sailed high, arching over the heads of the opposing team.
Jake ran, Maddie ran, Liza ran. The crowd held its collective breath until Jake slid into home and Ugly Creek pulled into the lead. I did the Snoopy dance.
I heard footsteps and looked up to see Steve heading my way. “Having fun?”
“Yes, actually, I am.” I did a bit more Snoopy. “That was an awesome play. Liza’s an excellent athlete. You must be very proud.”
“Yeah, I am.” He grinned. “But her talents go way beyond softball.”
I wasn’t about to go down that road, so I changed the subject. “I didn’t know Liza worked downtown.” The game was between Ugly Creek downtown merchants, and the merchants of nearby Stony Grove. From what I’d picked up from overheard conversations indicated there were strict rules about who qualified.
“She doesn’t, she works for me. Her father owns the hardware store, though. Since she’s immediate family, she qualifies.”
Liza stepped up to the pitcher’s mound. Apparently she could not only hit the ball, she could pitch the dang thing too. My fingers twitched as if I were right there with her. “So, why aren’t you playing?”
Steve laughed. “I hate to reinforce a stereotype, but I’m a computer geek. I’m not at all athletic.”
“Too bad, softball can be a lot of fun.”
“How about I take your word for it?”
“You’re missing out, Zapata.” My thoughts drifted to all the games I’d played. There was no feeling in the world like pushing your body to the limit and being part of a winning team.
A shriek had my breath freezing mid-inhalation. Fear shot ice through my veins as I looked toward the field. Liza was still standing on the pitcher’s mound, but she was doubled over. Then Steve was up and running, making his assertions about not being athletic into a lie. He was with his wife before I was even halfway there.
There was a tight knot of people around Liza, all of them talking at the same time. Steve shoved through. “What happened? Are you all right, sweetheart?”
“I’m so sorry,” the guy who’d been up to bat was saying.
I finally managed to get close enough to see Liza was holding her right arm close to her body. “I’m all right, Steve,” she said, though the tremor in her voice and the tears in her eyes told me she was in serious pain.
“Let’s get you to the hospital.” They started off, Steve’s arm protectively around his wife.
“I’m going with them,” Madison said, and proceeded to shove people out of the way so Steve and Liza could get through.
“We need you to take Liza’s place!” the Ugly Creek coach protested.
“Stephie can do it,” Maddie yelled back, as she hurried across the field with Steve and Liza.
Suddenly all eyes were trained on me. I gulped. This was obviously one of those instances where you need to be careful what you wish for. “It’s been a long time since I played.”
“We’re desperate,” Henry told her. “Will you do it?”
“Hey, wait a minute,” the Stony Grove coach said. “She doesn’t qualify.”
Henry turned to face the man down. “Come on, George! The score’s tied and we just lost two of our best players. It’s a charity game!”
George, whose face started to turn bright red, said, “Unless she works downtown, or is immediate family of somebody who does, she can’t play.”
I saw Henry open his mouth, but before anything came out, Jake jumped in. “I need some extra help at the store.”
I spun, wondering if this were some sort of trick to punish me. Jake met my gaze and held it.
“You can’t just make up some excuse and pretend to hire her.” George sounded decidedly unhappy.
“It’s not an excuse,” Jake said. “Stephie’s a photographer and Ace is in California rescuing animals from the fire area. What about it, Stephie, I need to update my catalogue and my website, are you willing to take some photos for me?”
There was challenge in Jake’s eyes, and I dearly loved challenge. “Sure. I’ll work for you.”
He held out his hand, we shook, and turned simultaneously to look at George. “Fine,” he said, and stomped back to his dugout.
“I hope you know how to play softball,” Jake whispered.
I just smiled and hurried off to our dugout to warm up. Somebody found an extra team T-shirt, and I pulled it on over my sleeveless blouse. The bright red team shirt looked hideous with my purple shorts, but at least I had on my trusty sneakers. The thought of running bases in sandals brought the word “horrifying” to mind.
Jake took the pitcher’s spot, and though he wasn’t as good as Liza, he wasn’t bad either. I was sent to the outfield, probably where I could do the least damage, but it wasn’t long before I returned a ball in time to prevent a runner from making it to third base. Our team worked hard, but the other team did manage to sneak one run past us. So the score was tied when we went up to bat.
Their pitcher was good, that’s for sure. Our first batter quickly struck out. The second got to first base. The third batter also made it to first, but the other runner got tagged on the way to second.
Jake took the bat, and I held my breath. I didn’t need to worry. He hit the first pitch and easily made it to second. The other runner was on third. And it was my turn.
I picked up the bat I’d chosen, adjusted the borrowed helmet, an
d got into position. The first pitch was way out of my range. The pitcher was testing me. The second came closer, but I still didn’t attempt a swing. I just smiled at the pitcher.
The third pitch was damn near perfect, and I felt kinda like Wonder Woman when the bat connected and the ball flew toward the outfield.
I took off running for base. First, second, third, and they still didn’t have it. I was heading for home when I suddenly realized the ball was back in play and heading my way. Without a thought, I dove for the ground and slid into base just before the ball hit the opponent’s glove.
“Safe!” the referee yelled.
As I walked off the field to the sound of cheers, I saw Jake grin in my direction. Good intentions be damned, I was thrilled. The man might be a real jerk, but he was for-sure a sexy one.
I dusted myself off as I watched the next batter. The woman managed to hit the ball, but only made it to first, and then the final batter struck out.
The Stony Grove team went to bat, and I was assigned to third base. Apparently our coach had decided I could play after all.
The other team managed to get a player on first and second, but I had the honor of procuring an out as their second base runner tried for third. Their next two batters struck out, and the game was over.
Hugs and dancing and general festivities began, along with handshakes and well wishes to and from the other team. It shocked me to my toes when I realized I’d missed this part of small town life.
“Celebration at Pizza Town!” Henry yelled.
I wanted to go. I felt my eyes burn and my heart drop a little at the thought of going back to Margaret’s house. I wanted to be part of the celebration, but I didn’t fit in. I wasn’t part of this life, of this world. I, after all, had made a conscious choice to leave this sort of thing behind.
Jake grabbed me by the arm and leaned close. “Don’t even think about not going. You’re the star of this party.”
“No. I helped out; the rest of you did the hard work.”
“We couldn’t have done it without you. Come on.” With a grip that was just this side of painful, he took me with him to a big green pickup parked toward the back of the lot. He pulled open the passenger door and I climbed in.
The Ugly Truth Page 7
